Saturday, June 2, 2018

Summer is coming - at Kew

Once again I headed for Kew at the crack of dawn - a dull start to the day but promise of warmth later.

 through the gate at 8..   I'll try, but can't promise, to show you some different plants/views/angles today...  or maybe just my favourites!

 walked round the back of the pond, the giant gunnera grow so fast!

 a look down a colourful Broad Walk
 the middle of this looks like crystallised ginger!
 tiny drops on a leaf

 love being able to get closeups of the grasses






 the white alliums seemed to have finished already, (that was quick) but the purple ones are still glorious...

 the Orangery making a great backdrop
isolating one seedhead in the wildflower meadow...
 and a solitary poppy

so much going on in this tree fern, berry like things and fluffy stuff... never knew tree ferns did this kind of thing!


 admittedly, I don't know a lot about tree ferns, but never seen them at this stage before!
 huge great masses of these all over
 round by the alpine house in the rock garden, it wasn't sunny enough yet for the californian poppies to open..
 I spent ages again trying to catch bees collecting pollen - there were hundreds on these yellow flowers
 more soft and fluffy!
 see the little insect on the bottom petal?


loved this..

 gorgeous white peony

 the poppy b ed in the family beds has turned red from last week... I got carried away (and this was before the sun came out!)
I won't apologise... I love them!







 this lady was as captivated by them as I was...


as I tore myself away I spoke to a man about how fantastic the poppies were today. 
We decided this was probably THE best time to see them - as well, because I won't be here (there) next week and the one after, they'll probably be past their best.
 peony the size of a dinner plate!

 looking back...


 after a coffee and cake, I headed for the Temperate House
 the tulips in the bed in front are all gone now, the grasses are being allowed to grow up..
 stonework on the pillar outside the TH
 statues on top of the pillars either side of the doors

tree fern from above

 I do love a spiral staircase! 
 another smaller waterfall
 gorgeous deep burgundy perlagonium...
 in front of those fabulous daisy pots!
 can't help it, love them!

 didn't see what these were, but the petals were paper-thin,  beautiful!

my ex husband and I used to grow loads of coleus as house plants,  Love the burgundy red edges to these leaves.

 I must start wearing my reading glasses when I'm taking photos, lots of blurry ones today... or maybe I am trying to get too close with my closeup lens!
 love all the inter-connecting sections of the TH...

 for the first time in ages I climbed up the Treetop Walkway...
great view of the TH.


 one of the dragons (kids event for the summer)
this one is decorated with the Pagoda..



newly refurbished... keep forgetting to go right up close to check it out... next time!  someone remind me.......


 walked round the lake...



 beautiful iridescent mallard!

 never seen a (Canada? Barnacle?) Goose with a patterned neck like this.
 whilst I was walking round the lake, I could hear squawking and squabbling from birdlife...
a gap in the vegetation revealed lots of baby ducks and cygnets... mum and dad being protective...



 cute little ducklings!



 3 cygnets to care for...



headed back through the Rose Garden behind the Palm House - so many more out since last Saturday... wish you could smell them!!









 I sat for a while... and the sun came out...

this one smelled divine!




 quick nip into the waterlily house..



 pretty clouds!



 those alliums...



I wanted to go and see the 12.30 show of the Cirque Bijou again (had promised to video some of it on my phone for some friends..)


but the poppies were calling me in the sunshine...

 so I took loads more of the sun shining through the petals...

no apologies this time either!




 love the hairs on their stems!







 statuesque delphiniums in the sun
 the triplet goslings from last week.. sleep in the sun
 back in the TH...


 the cellist warming up...
 not so many photos this week as I was concentrating on filming on the phone
 watched from the other side of the roped off area this time for a different view point


 still spectacular, 


 made my way down a now sunny Broad Walk to the exit..

 last bed of alliums before the exit looking towards the Hive.
and the chestnut trees still full of flower


thanks for looking again!

6 comments:

craftimamma said...

OOh some absolutely beautiful photos today Helen. The roses are stunning especially the white and that gorgeous golden yellow one. I wish we could smell them too. I think it's years since a really smelled roses. Love the shots of the TH from the walkway. Those sweet little blue flowers (when you commented on blurry pics) are so unusual. I've never seen anything like those before or that white one with the transluscent petals. The pelargonuim is an amazing shade of burgundy and another particular favourite today is the pic after the gorgeous white peony. That's another new unusual one for me with those delicate lilac spiky bits. I think that's is me true favourite today. Thanks for the visit today, it's been lovely.

Hugs
Lesley Xx

Lin said...

Wow helken another brilliant post beautiful beautiful flowers!!! Isn't mother nature amazing!!

Bleubeard and Elizabeth said...

The Broad Walk has gotten lots of color, hasn't it? It's alive with springtime colors, now. It seems purple alliums hit the spot today.

You are brave to photograph those bees up close. They look great against the yellow flowers, though.

I am SO impressed with the poppies. I can't grow them here, and have always wanted to. These are fabulous.

Possibly the most impressive photos of the day, other than the poppies, wee the photos of the TH from the Treetop Walkway. STUNNING views of the newly refurbished beauty. I was amazed at the green in the background of the last photo.

I want to see the Pagoda, too. Will it be open? And how many weekends will the guy be at the TH?

SO glad you shared all these beautiful photos with us.

Diana Taylor said...

Stunning photos as always - I do love the soft and fluffy pink flower/seed heads - I have no idea what they are but would love some in the garden!
Diana xx

Felix the Crafty Cat said...

How lucky are you to have such a fabulous place to take these great photos. Happy weekend, Angela xXx

pearshapedcrafting said...

Stunning photos Helen! I love the purples and yellows but have to say the poppies really are the stars - I only have yellow and orange ones at the caravan and would love to grow those really big ones! I really think we have to visit Kew again one day!! Hugs, Chrisx